INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY[1]) is launching an open innovation challenge to encourage individuals and teams across the U.S. to identify and submit pioneering digital health solutions aimed at transforming inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care. The challenge, "Transforming IBD Care: Better disease monitoring, management, and care for people with inflammatory bowel disease," focuses on innovation in IBD monitoring, condition management or care enhancements. The submission form, including additional details about the challenge's criteria, eligibility and requirements, is available at www.medstro.com/challenges/TransformingIBD[2].

"Lilly is investing in digital solutions that can help empower people with chronic conditions, such as IBD, to better manage their own health. Innovation is happening everywhere, and this challenge is aimed at identifying bold ideas outside our walls and collaborating on ways to potentially deliver new solutions to those who need them most," said Divakar Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., chief digital officer at Lilly. "Approximately 3 million Americans have reported being diagnosed with IBD, and Lilly is committed to tackling the challenge of this disease through science and innovation. We're looking for digital innovators to join us."

The innovation challenge, which launched this week, is a call for novel solutions that leverage today's most innovative technologies and systems — mobile apps, sensors and wearables, connected drug delivery devices, real-time monitoring, algorithms, digital games, etc. — to enhance care and improve health and wellbeing for those struggling with IBD.

Eligible individuals, teams, and organizations are encouraged to participate. Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. ET on September 30, 2019. Judges, consisting of a panel of experts from both within and outside of Lilly, will evaluate all submissions through October and select five finalists by early November. The finalists will be selected based on the idea's impact, novelty, technical feasibility, and ability to address long-term needs of people with IBD.

The finalist with the winning idea, subject to the submissions received, will be announced in Q4 2019, and will be awarded $50,000 along with the potential opportunity to co-develop the solution with Lilly. Interested participants can learn more and enter at www.medstro.com/challenges/TransformingIBD[2].

About Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the two main types being ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.1 According to the CDC[3], approximately 3 million Americans have reported IBD.2 IBD is an idiopathic disease caused by the immune system responding incorrectly to environmental triggers, leading to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com[4] and www.lilly.com/newsroom[5]. C-LLY